Healthy living

It's really important to stay fit and healthy which is why we have a Healthy Lifestyle scheme in 11 of our pharmacies. Simply drop in and pick up your Healthy Lifestyle information pack, plus you can even have regular consultations with a member of the team.

To get you started, we’ve put together lots of information, tips and advice about eating well and staying healthy.

Body Mass Index (BMI)Body Mass Index (BMI) can be used to assess whether you are a healthy weight for your height. The tool is only a guide and is unsuitable for children, young people, the elderly and those with a high muscle mass.

Body shapeThe Ashwell® shape chart can help you work out if your waist is a healthy size for your height.

The food groupsThere are four main food groups which are demonstrated on the Eatwell plate: Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods
Fruit and vegetables. Milk and dairy foods. Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non dairy sources of protein.

Get your 5 a dayTips on how to get your 5 portions of fruit and vegetable a day. Fruit and vegetables provide us with a variety of nutrients including vitamins, minerals and fibre. It is therefore essential to have a variety of these foods in your diet to make sure you don’t become deficient.

A healthy mealTry to consume foods from each of the different food groups at all mealtimes, this makes it easier to have a balanced diet throughout the day.

ExercisePhysical activity is essential in weight management and is a great way to stay healthy. it has a number of benefits.

SaltSalt or sodium chloride has a number of roles within the body. It helps maintain the fluid balance, maintains the pH of the blood and is important for cells to function.

WaterWater is essential for life, we can’t live without it. We need to take in water to replenish that lost by breathing, sweating and urinating, and to regulate body temperature.

AlcoholAlcohol is classed as a drug as it has an effect on a person’s mental, physical and psychological state.

Child nutritionProviding your child with the right nutrition is essential to their growth and development and can also encourage healthy eating habits later in life which may reduce the risk of obesity and heart disease.